The Pilgrim wrestling team was determined to take that next step this season.

Last winter, the Pats fell in the Division II title match to undefeated Chariho. But they came back this season with the utmost confidence and the vast majority of their starting lineup from that second-place season.

And on Tuesday night, Pilgrim put the finishing touches on its storybook 2015-16 season, closing its league slate with a perfect 17-0 record and taking that next step that it was hoping for.

The Pats took care of previously 14-2 Burrillville in their home gym, 48-25, on Tuesday. Since there aren’t divisional meets this season, the victory gave the Pats sole possession of the D-II crown.

“I think it was for the ones that were here [last season],” senior captain Nicholas Carpenter said of whether getting close to a title last year was a motivating factor this season. “It was definitely a big factor in trying to get better than last year. Coach says we’re always improving.”

The title is Pilgrim’s first since winning D-II sectionals in 1992-93, and the program’s fourth all-time.

“We’re ecstatic,” Pilgrim head coach Tom O’Connor said. “This was one of our goals, to go out on top before Vets came over and we assimilate them. We wanted to show our worth and show how hard we work.”

The Broncos put the Pats on their heels early, but that didn’t last long.

Josh Kanakry pinned Pilgrim’s Renzel Greene in the 106 match, but Burrillville forfeited 113 to knot the score at 6.

The Broncos’ Jacob Rivers would then pin Pilgrim’s Michael Sanville in the 120-pound match to push Burrillville ahead, 12-6.

However, Burrillville wouldn’t lead again all night.

Pilgrim’s Jaiman VanHeyringer pinned Robert Simas to tie the score at 12 in the 126 match.

And that would start a 21-0 run for the Pats.

Due to an injury at 145 for Pilgrim, O’Connor had a couple of wrestlers move up a weight class, while slotting freshman Phillip Page in at 132.

Page handled his opponent to give his team the lead for good, pinning Burrillville senior Ian Richardson to push the Pats in front, 18-12.

The win from Page was definitely a turning point in the meet.

“We decided to bump up in the middle to let Phillip have a chance, who’s been working hard all year,” O’Connor said. “He’s getting better every time he steps on the mat. It was nice that he got his chance to step up, and he did.”

And the Pats kept rolling from there.

Senior Hunter Bazarnick pinned Nicholas Gosselin at 138, before Jacob Zuller edged Burrillville’s Travis Pare, 4-2, in the 145 match to increase Pilgrim’s lead to 27-12.

After Andrew Braddock ended Pilgrim’s run with a 6-0 victory over Mitchell Fielding at 152, the Pats’ Garrison Potter swung the momentum back in his team’s favor abruptly. It took the junior just 18 seconds to notch a pin, manhandling Zachary Geremia at 160 to make it 33-15.

The score quickly became 39-15 when Chariho failed to fill the 170-pound weight slot. The Pats then got a win via a pin from Carpenter at 195, and a hard-fought, 9-5 win from Zackery Fagundes in the heavyweight bout to finish the meet at 48-25.

O’Connor was proud of his team for all of the hard work and dedication that it put forth to achieve its goal.

“To get over the hump and be undefeated is special,” O’Connor said. “I want to congratulate all 22 of my kids – I started the season with 22 and ended the season with 22. The kids showed up every day, we have practice at 6 in the morning on Saturdays and they’re all there. It was a team win. Even though we can only put 14 out there, without all 22 we would’ve been in trouble.”

Pilgrim will now turn its attention to the state meet, which will take place at the Providence Career and Technical Academy after school next Friday and all day next Saturday.

The Pats are optimistic that they’ll have individual wrestlers place amid the state’s best.

“I hope that we can be as good as we truly are, which means you should see a lot of us up at the top at states this year,” Carpenter said.

The undefeated season should give Pilgrim’s individual wrestlers a great sense of confidence entering states.

“We proved that we’re good and we can roll with anyone,” Potter said. “I think this will launch everyone to do good in states. Just keep rolling.”